Buckle



April 20, 1943. BRAUN 2,317,128

BUCKLE Filed Nov. 27, 1941 INVENTOR FRED BRAUN ATTORNEYS Patented Apr.20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUCKLE Fred Braun, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application November 2'7, 1941, Serial No. 420,648

2 Claims.

This invention appertains to buckles, and more particularly to a novelbuckle particularly adapted for adjustably receiving the shoulder strapsof a pair of overalls.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a buckle whichcan be readily and quickly applied to a strap, and. which will grip thestrap in such a manner that slipping of the strap will be prevented.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide a buckle having abody formed from a single piece of metal including companion jaws havingcooperating members thereon for gripping the strap without puncturing ortearing the same.

A further important object of my invention is to provide inwardlydirected gripping flanges formed on the longitudinal sides of the jaws,with the flanges of one jaw out of longitudinal alinement with flangeson the other jaw, whereby the flanges on the jaws will firmly grip thestrap therebetween.

A still further object of my invention is to provide cooperatingstruck-in ribs on the jaws for reinforcing the jaws and for gripping thestrap, with the ribs arranged between the flanges, so that the strap iscaused to take a sinuous path through the buckle.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the buckle, showing the same inuse, parts of the figure being shown broken away and in section toillustrate structural detail.

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the buckle, with certain partsthereof broken away and in section.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through the buckle, taken on theline 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the buckle, taken onthe line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, theview showing the jaws of the buckle in their partially opened position.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter Bgenerally indicates my improved buckle.

One of the main uses of the buckle B is for adjustably connecting thestrap of an overall to the body portion thereof, and, consequently, inFigure 1 I have shown the buckle applied to such a use. The shoulderstrap is indicated by the reference character 5, and the buckle isadapted to engage the strap for detachably connecting the strap with abutton 6 carried by a part of the front body portion 1 of the overall.

The buckle B includes a main body portion 10, and the same is preferablyformed from a single strip of sheet metal bent upon itself to formlongitudinally extending companion gripping jaws i I and I2. These jawsare resiliently connected at one end by a bowed resilient bight portionl3. The opposite ends of the jaws can be held toward one another in aclamping position in any preferred manner, such as by the use of aswinging bail 14. The outer end of the jaw II is rolled to provide ahinge barrel 15 for the bail i4, and the outer end of the jaw l2 can beprovided with an outturned lip 16 over which the ball is adapted to beswung.

Formed on the longitudinal sides of the jaw I l are inwardly directedclamping flanges I1 and IS. The lower flange I8 has the central partthereof rolled to provide a hinge barrel 19 for receiving the upper endof a swinging loop 20, which is adapted to receive the button of theoverall. Between the flanges I1 and I8 and on opposite sides of thelongitudinal center, the jaw II has formed therein a pair of struck-in,spaced, parallel, clamping ribs 2| and 22.

The jaw 12 has formed on its longitudinal edges inwardly directedgripping flanges 23 and 24. Particular attention is directed to the factthat the flanges 23 and 24 lie within the flanges l1 and I8 and are outof longitudinal alinement with said flanges. A centrally disposedstruck-in rib 25 is also formed on the'j-aw i2, and this rib 25 isadapted to extend between the ribs 2| and 22 of the jaw II.

In use of my fastener or buckle, the bail I4 is swung away from thespring tongue l6, and the buckle can now be slipped laterally on a strapin a selected adjusted position thereon. After the buckle is properlydisposed on the strap, the jaws H and I2 are brought toward one another,and the bail i4 is swung over the tongue Hi. This will hold the jaws inclamping position on the strap, after which the loop 20 can be placedover a button.

By referring to Figure 3, it will be seen that the strap is firmlyclamped at a plurality of spaced points, and that the strap is caused totake a tortuous path through the buckle when the buckle jaws are intheir clamped position.

the strap is firmly gripped between the flanges l1 and 23 and theflanges 18 and 24. As the rib 25 lies between the ribs 2| and 22, thestrap will 5 be firmly clamped between these three ribs.

In actual practice, it will be found that not only can the buckle bequickly placed on the strap at a selected point, but that the strap willbe firmly gripped against slipping without danger 10 of tearing orpuncturing the strap.

Attention is also called to the fact that while the hinge barrel I9 isrolled from a part of the' flange l8, said barrel actually forms acontinuation of the flange I8, in that the barrel lies in is closeproximity to the flange 24 of the jaw- 12 I when the jaws II and I2 arein their clamping position. a

Particular attention is directed to the swinga ing loop or hanger 20, asthe same forms an 20 important part of my present invention. This hangeror loop 20 is formed from resilient material, and the legs thereof arenormally urged toward the ends of the barrel I 9. It is also to be notedthat the lower end of the hanger or 5 loop is provided with a restrictedthroat entrance for the button. During the placing of the loop on andoil the button, the legs of the loop spring outwardly to facilitate themovement of the button into and out of position. Obviously, when 30 thebutton is placed in position, the resiliency of the arms will preventthe accidental displacement of the button from the hanger or loop.

Changes in details may be made, which do not depart from the spirit andscope of my claims, and what I claim as new is:

1. A buckle comprising, a body including a pair of longitudinallyextending jaws, means connecting the jaws together at one end, meansdetachably connecting the jaws together at their opposite ends, each ofsaid jaws having inwardly directed gripping flanges formed on their sideedges, the flanges on one jaw being out of Iongitudinal alinement withthe flanges on the other jaw, whereby the flanges on the first jaw willlie inwardly of the flanges on the second-mentioned jaw, said jaws alsohaving struck-in ribs arranged in staggered relation relative to one an--other.

2. A buckle comprising, a body portion formed from a single sheet ofresilient sheet metal including a pair of companion gripping jaws and aconnecting bight portion, means detachably connecting the jaws at theirouter ends, one of said jaws being provided with inwardly directedflanges, inwardly directed flanges formed on the longitudinal edges ofthe other jaw arranged out of longitudinal alinement with'thefirst-mentioned flanges for lying between said flanges, a pair of spacedstruck-in ribs formed on one of the jaws between its flanges, and asingle struckin rib formed on the other jaw between its flanges formovement between the first-mentioned ribs when the jaws are in theirclamping position.

FRED BRAUN.

